- Opening hours, entry terms and the closing date were confirmed by the venue for the current run.
- The route follows the rooms or sections in the order a visitor walks them.
- Every work in the works list has a number that matches its wall label.
- Accessibility details are stated plainly, including step-free routes and seating, and were checked on site.
- The contact listed can answer visitor questions for the whole run of the show.
- The guide says what it does not cover, such as a separate catalog, a tour or a talk series.
- Someone who has not seen the installation can find a named work within two minutes of reading.
Creative & DesignContent Creator
Exhibition guide: help visitors find, understand and plan a visit
An exhibition guide helps a visitor find the works, understand the main idea of the show and plan the visit, from opening hours to accessibility details. It works when it follows the order a visitor moves through the space, with a short label for each room or section and a works list that matches the wall text. Write the guide before the opening, then check every detail against the installed show.
Quality checklist
Check the guide against the installed show
Section outline
Five sections a visitor's guide needs, with word budgets
Welcome and the idea of the show
Two or three sentences on what the show is about and what a visitor should notice first.
60 wordsVisit details
Dates, opening hours, entry terms, accessibility and where to get help on the day.
80 wordsRoute through the show
The rooms or sections in walking order, the works each one holds and one line on what links them.
150 wordsWorks list
Number, title, medium, date and lender or source for each work, in the same order as the route.
120 wordsContact and what is not covered
One contact for questions, and a note on any separate catalog, tour or talk.
40 words
Total: 450 words
Example excerpt
A sample route section for a fictional show
Sample section
Illustrative example: the gallery, the show and the works in this sample are fictional. Room one: Surfaces at rest. Start here for the show's main idea. Three works in this room hang at seated eye height, so you can look at the glazing and the edges without leaning in. The room explains the process: a pane is poured, cooled and then sanded by hand. The wall label at the entrance sets out those three stages. Room two: Weather on glass. The works here were made outdoors and then brought inside, so their surfaces show wind and salt. Each work carries a number beside its label, and the works list at the end of this guide uses the same numbers. Please keep a step back, because the surfaces mark easily. Room three: The studio notebook. This is the quiet room. It holds sketches and two short films without sound. The films have captions, and benches line the back wall. Before you leave, return to the front desk so staff can note any questions for the next visit.
Format notes
Write for someone standing in the room
Order the guide the way a visitor walks
Describe the rooms in the order a visitor enters them, and say which way to turn. Someone reading on a phone at the entrance should be able to match each heading to the room in front of them.
Match the numbers on the walls and in the list
Use the same number for each work on the wall label, in the works list and in the route text. A mismatch between the list and the wall sends visitors searching.
State accessibility in specifics
Say which rooms are step-free, whether seating is available, and whether assistance can be arranged in advance. Wording such as accessible on request does not give a visitor enough to plan a visit.
Put the timing above the route
Opening hours, the last entry time and the closing date belong above the route, because visitors look for them first. Hours change between runs, so date the guide.
Mistakes to avoid
Four errors that send visitors the wrong way
Writing the route before the hang
Route text written from a floor plan often misses a wall that moved during installation. Check each room against the installed show before you publish.
A paragraph for every object
A visitor who reads a long label for every work stops reading the guide. Keep each label to a line or two, and put longer essays in a separate text the reader can reach.
Hours with no date
A guide with last run's hours sends visitors to a closed door. Date the timing, and update it whenever the run changes.
No one to ask
A visitor with a question about access or a missing work needs a named contact. Name one role and one channel, and say when they reply.
Frequently asked questions
Can this guide host a virtual museum tour?
No. Content Creator does not build a walkable or three-dimensional tour. It makes one self-contained web page, so a virtual exhibition guide is a written route with labeled images. Any tour video has to live on a video service you control.
Is there an exhibition guide template?
No template file is supplied here. Use the five sections in the outline above and fill them with the details of your own show, checked on site. A guide that matches the installed show is more useful than a generic layout.
How is a virtual gallery guide different from a printed one?
A printed guide can use a floor plan a visitor carries. A web guide has to describe the route in words, with room names in order and a number for each work, because a visitor may open it on a phone at the entrance. Keep the same numbers in both versions.
How long should the works list be?
Long enough to cover every work a visitor can see, in the order of the route. If the show has dozens of works, group the list by room so it stays readable on a phone.
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How to build it
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